Ribbon-feed mechanism



YJuly 7, 1925.

C. M. CROOK RIBBON FEED MECHANISM Filed July 29, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet.

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C.M.CRGOK RIBBON FEED MECHANISM Filed July 29, 1922 4 SheeiS-Sheet 2 July 7, w25. 1,544,891

C.M.CROOK RIBBON FEED MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheetv Filed July 29. 1922 July 7, 1925. n@44,891

C. M. CROOK RIBBON FEED MECHANISM Filed July 29. 1922 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

CHARLES M. CROOK, OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 STROMBERG ELECTRIC COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

RIBBON-FEED MECHANISM.

Application led July 29, 1922. Serial No. 578,517.

'To all whom t may concer/n.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. CRooK, a

citizen of the United States, residing atl Geneva, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Feed Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being .had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My inventionl relates to ribbon feed mechanism. O ne of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved reversing means in connection with a ribbon-feed;

A further object of my invention is to provide improved reversing means in connection with the ribbon-feed in which positive means are provided tov prevent accidental reversal of action;

A further object of my invention is to provide reversing means in connection with the ribbon feed which will be efficient and durable in operation, simple in construction, and easy to manufacture.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description to follow and from the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the ribbon-feed mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ribbon-feed mechanism parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view showing the relation of the ribbon-feeding mechanism to the recording mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view, the central portion being in section substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the ribbon-feed about to change direction;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the' direction of ribbon feed changed.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the ribbon-feed mechanism is shown in connection with a part of a time recording mechanism, although it is obvious that it may be useful in other locations and rela-v tions.

prises a pair of ribbon spools 10 and 11, to whlch the opposite ends of the ribbons 12 are secured, a pair of guide rollers 13 and 14, for guiding the ribbon 12 in its passage from one spool to the other to change path of travel, and a type Wheel 15, and hammer 16 (Fig. 4) for co-operation with the type ribbon 12, intermittently operable mechanism 17 controlled by the same mechanism which controls the hammer 16 for alternatively rotating the ribbon spools 10 and 11, to Wind the ribbon in one direction or the other, and ribbon-controlled mechanism 18 for automatically reversing the direction of travel ofthe ribbon.

The mechanism 17 for alternatively acting on the ribbon spools 10 and 11, comprises a link 19, (Figs. 2 and 3) which may, if desired, be connected so as to be actuated every time the hammer 16 is actuated, a bellcrank lever 20 pivotally mounted at 21, and pivotally connected ,at 22 to the link 19, a slide 23, slidably mounted in slots 24 and 25 in the channel-shaped frame memberl 26, a pair of pawls 27 and 28, pivotally mounted on the slide 23, a pair of ratchet-Wheels 29 and 30, engaged by the pawls 27 and 28`respectively, transmission mechanism 31 (Fig. 2) between the ratchet-wheel 29 and the ribbon spool 10, and transmission mechanism 32 between the ratchet-wheel 30 'and the ribbon spool 11.

The transmission mechanism 31 comprises a shaft 33 on which the ratchet-wheel 29 is secured, a pinion 34 secured on the shaft 33, an idler 35, meshing with the pinion 34 and a gear 36 meshing with the 1dler 35, said gears 36 having a driving engagement with respect to the ribbon spool 10.

The driving mechanism 32 between the ratchet Wheel 30 and the ribbon spool l0, comprises a shaft 37 to which the ratchetwheel 30 is secured, a pinion 38 secured to the shaft 37, an idler 39 meshing with the pinion 38, a second idler 40 meshing with the idler 39, and a gear 41 meshing With the idler 40 and having a driving engagement with respect to the ribbon spool 11.

Thev pawls 27 and 28 are pivotally mounted at 42 and 43 respectively on the reciprocable slide 23, and are provided with arms 44 and 45, respectively, which are connected together by means of a tension spring 46, the

tension spring 46 tending to hold the pawls 27 and 28 in engagement respectively with the ratchet-wheels 29 and 30. As will be described in detail hereinafter, means are Aprovided whereby when one of the pawls 27 or 28 is permitted to engage its ratchetwheel, the other is thrown out of engagement, and viceversa.

With the construction thus far described it will be seen that a reciprocation of the link 19 will cause step-by-step movement of one or the other of the ratchet-wheels 29 or 30, and will thus cause the ribbon 12 to travel in one direction or the other with a step-by-step movement.

The mechanism 18 for reversing the direction of travel of the ribbon 12, comprises a two-armed ribbon controlled rocker or oscillatable member 47, having slots 48 and 49 in its arms through which the ribbon 12 passes, a pawl-controlling rocker or oscillatable member 50, having a lost motion delayed action spring connection with the rocker 47, and having a pair of arms 5l and 52 for engaging arms 53 and 54 respectively on the pawls 27 and 28, and spring pressedpivoted detent and locking members 54a and 55, co-operating with the cross-bar 56 of the oscillatable member to delay its action until a certain movement of the rock arm 47 has been elfected, and to lock it against accidental movement to prevent accidental reversal of the ribbon travel.

The detent and locking members 54 and` are controlled by means of the ribboncontrolled rock arm 47, and for this 4purpose are provided with lugs 57 and 58 respectively, which are engaged by shoulders-59 and 60 respectively on the rocker 47.

A tension sprind 61 is provided, extending between the pivoted detent and locking members 54a and 55, the spring 61 tending to hold the lugs 57 and 58 in engagement with the shoulders 59 and 60.

Both the ribbon-controlled rocker 47 and the pawl-controlling rocker 50 are pivoted on a stud 62, mounted on the U-shaped frame member 26. The detent and locking members 54a and 55 are pivoted on studs 63 and 64 respectively mounted on the channeled-frame member 26. The detent and locking members 54 and 55 are provided with arcuate detent and locking shoulders 65 and 66 respectively, which co-operate with opposite edges respectively of the cross-bar portion 67 of the rocker 50, (Figs. 6, 7 and 8).

The lost motion delayed action spring connection referred to between the two oscillatable members 47 and 50, comprises, in addition to the detent and locking lnembers 54LL and a two-armed coil torsion spring 68, the coil portion of which is wound around the stud 62, and the ends of which embrace both the cross-bar 67 of the rocker 50, and the cross-barA 69 of the rocker 47. Thus the tendency of the spring 68 is to keep the cross-arms 67 and 69 together.

The action of the ribbon reversing mechanism can best be explained in connection with Figs. 1, 6, 7, and 8. The reversal of the ribbon is controlled p-rimarily by the ribbon itself, which acts on the rocker 47. As previously explained, the ribbon l2 passes through slots 48 and 49 in the opposite ends of this rocker. In order that the ribbon may act on the rocker 47 shortly before it is all unwound from the spool, the ribbon is provided with a projection 70 (Fig. 1) which may be in the form of an eyelet, too large to pass through the slot 48, so that as the ribbon travels along, this eyelet 70, not being able to pass through the slot 48, will cause the rocker 47 to travel along with the ribbon until a reversal of the ribbon-feed is effected. A similar eyelet 70 (not shown) is secured near that end of the ribbon which is secured to the ribbon spool 1l. By means of these eyelets 70, the rock arm 47 is actuated just before the ribbon is completely unwound from one or the other of the spools 10 and 11. This oscillation of the arm 47 is shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, in which Fig. 6 shows the arm before it has started to move, Fig. 7 shows it just before the reversal of travel taking place, and Fig. 8 shows it after the reversal -of travel has been effected.

Referring first to the change in position of parts which takes place between the position shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, as the arm 47 is slowly moved by means of the travel of the ribbon 12, from its position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7, its shoulder 60 pushes ahead of it the lug 58 on the righthand detent and locking member 55 and causes a gradual movement of this member, causing the arcuate shoulder 66 of the detent to slide long the con tiguous edge of the cross-bar 67 of the pawlcontrolling rock arm 50. This movement of the arm 47 places the arm of the spring 68 in a position in which pressure is exerted on the cross-bar 67 of the pawl controlling rocker 50, so that as soon as this crossarm 67 is released for movement by the detent 55, the pawl-controlling rock arm will sna over into a position in which its arm 51 will bear on the arm 72 of the pawl 27 and will thus throw the pawl 27 out of operative relation with respect to the ratchet wheel 29. Fig. 7 shows the point 73 of the detent about to disengage the cross-bar 67 of the pawl-` controlling rock arms, to permit the. snap action of the pawl controlling rock arm under the action of the spring 68.

Fig. 8 shows the position `of the parts after the detent 55 has been moved out of the path of the cross-bar 67 and the pawl controlling rock arm 50 has snapped over gso to throw the pawl 27 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 29, and to move the arm 52 which controlls pawl 28 to a position in which it will. permit the pawl 28 to en-v gage with ratchet wheel 30 under the action of the spring 46. As shown in Fig. 8, the` snap' action of the pawl-controlling rocker 50 moves this rocker far enough to let the detent member 54'* snap off from the upperA face of the cross-bar 67 in behind this crossbar, thus preventing any accidental movement of the pawl-controlling rocker which would cause an undesired accidental reversal of the travel of the ribbon.

Thus the pawl 27 is rendered ineffective to actuate its ratchet wheel 29 when the slide 23 is reciprocated while at the same time the pawl 28 is rendered effective to operate its ratchet wheel 30. This reversal with respect to the pawls 27 and 28 causes a reversal of travel of the ribbon 12 as will be readily understood. Y

After this reversal, the ribbon will continue to be advanced with a step-by-step movement at each actuation of the link 19,

until the ribbon has been almost completely unwound from the spool 29, when the eyelet 70 will engage the left hand arm of the ribbon controlled rocker 47, and will start this rocker arm on its movement from the position in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. 7. The change of position of parts showing this movement will be just the reverse of that described above in connection with the change in position from thatw shown in Fig. 6 and Fi 8, and will not be described in detail. owever, it is stated that in this movement the shoulder 59 of the ribbon controlled rock arm, by its engagement with the lug 57 on the detent and locking member 54", will move this detent member 54 until the point 74 of this detent slips off from edge of the cross-bar 67 of the pawl-controlling rocker 50, permitting the pawl controlling rocker to snap, under the action of the two-armed spring 68, from the position shown in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. 6. At the same time, the detent and locking member 55 will snap oil from the upper edge of the cross-bar 67 of the pawl controlling rocker kand will drop in behind this cross-bar, to the position shown in Fig. 6, where it prevents any Y accidental return movement of the pawl controlling rocker 50. This movement of the awl-controlling rocker brings the arm 52 own onto the arm 75 of the pawl 28, and throws this pawl 28 out of operative engagement with respect to the ratchet 3Q, the arm 51 also being thrown up to permit the pawl 27 to move down into operative engagement with respect to its ratchet wheel 29 under the action of the spring 46.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that it may beembodied inother forms covered and defined by the appended claims.

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A ribbon feed mechanism comprising two spools to whichthe ends of the ribbon are secured, driving means for each spool comprising a ratchet wheel anda pawl for actuating said wheel, a pivoted rocker arm' for controlling both said pawls to throw them into and out of engagement with their respective wheels, a ribbon feed controlled rocker arm coaxial with said pawl controlled rocker arm, and delayed action transmission between said feed controlled rocker and said pawl controlling rocker.

2. A ribbon feed mechanism comprising two spools to which the ends of the ribbon are secured, driving means for each spool comprising a ratchet wheel and a pawl for actuating said wheel, a feed controlledV member movable back and forth, a pivoted aWl controlling rocker arm for controlling th said pawls to throw them into and out of engagement with their respective wheels, delayed action transmission between said feed controlled member and said pawl controlling rocker arm, and a pair of oppositely acting detents controlled by said feed controlled member and acting on said pawl controlling rocker,

3. A ribbon feed mechanism comprising two spools to which the ends of the ribbon are secured, driving means for each spool comprising a ratchet wheel and a pawl for actuating said wheel, a feed controlled member movable back and forth, a pivoted pawl controlling rocker arm for controlling both said pawls to throw them into and out of engagement with their respective wheels, delayed action transmission between said feed controlled member and said pawl controlling rocker arm, and a pair of oppositely acting detents controlled by said feed controlled member and acting on said pawl controlling rocker, each of said detents being pivoted and having an arcuate portion engageable with said pawl controllinlg rocker to hold it against movement.

nwitness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES M. CROOK. 

